A prisoner serving 16 life sentences in Arizona killed three other inmates at a state prison in Tucson, according to officials.
The accused, Ricky Wassenaar, is said to have murdered Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage, and Donald Lashley during the incident at the Arizona State Prison Cimmaron Unit, as reported by KOLD.
Wassenaar is the sole suspect in the case, with prison officials stating that he acted with “intent to harm.”
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Ricky Wassenaar is accused of killing three other inmates at a state prison in Tucson. (Arizona Department of Corrections)
Alvarez was incarcerated for a Maricopa County murder, Harnage for sexual conduct with a minor in Pima County, and Lashley for child molestation in Pima County.
Wassenaar was already serving 16 life sentences for his involvement in a prison standoff in 2004, as per KOLD. He had a criminal history prior to the standoff.
He and another individual were found guilty of holding two guards hostage for 15 days at Lewis Prison Complex in Buckeye, Arizona, marking one of the longest prison hostage situations in U.S. history.
Saul Alvarez, Thorne Harnage and Donald Lashley were killed at a prison on Friday. (Arizona Department of Corrections)
Wassenaar purportedly used a kitchen guard’s uniform to deceive another guard into allowing him into a prison watchtower. He acquired the uniform by overpowering an officer with a handmade weapon.
The Arizona Department of Corrections transferred Wassenaar to a prison in Florence after the deaths of the inmates on Friday. The incident is currently under investigation.
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Prison officials say Wassenaar acted with “intent to harm.” (iStock)
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“ADCRR’s Office of the Inspector General has initiated an initial criminal investigation regarding the inmate’s deaths,” stated the prison officials. “All inmate deaths are scrutinized in coordination with the county medical examiner’s office. The ADCRR takes violent situations seriously and will pursue prosecution against any suspects linked to the case.”
Following the altercation, visitations at the prison were canceled for the remainder of the day on Friday.
